Kitemark to fight concert ticket fraud

The Last Night of the Proms. Leading ticket agencies such as Ticketmaster display a security kitemark on their booking sites. Photograph: Mark Allan/WireImage.com

An initiative to fight concert ticket fraud was launched this week.

Industry trade body STAR, the Society of Ticket Agents & Retailers, has unveiled a kitemark that identifies "reputable" outlets which follow the organisation's code of conduct and are authorised to sell tickets by event organisers.

The red, black and white kitemark shows a star inside a padlock, accompanied by the words "secure tickets from authorised retailers". It can already be seen on the websites of leading agencies such as Ticketmaster, See Tickets, Stargreen, TicketWeb and WeGotTickets, all members of STAR.

STAR said official estimates suggest that the cost of online ticket fraud alone is £168m a year. The consequences can be devastating for the buyer. Some are left empty-handed and out of pocket, while others are turned away at the venue.

"While some consumers are web-savvy – 64% of respondents to our national survey said they would only buy from a ticket outlet they had used before – others often take chances with their cash," said a spokesman. "By purchasing from outlets that display the kitemark, either online or at the point of sale, consumers can be confident the company is authorised to sell tickets and has signed up to the STAR code of practice. The body also offers a dispute resolution service for consumers."

The organisation's members account for more than 90% of tickets sold by authorised firms for entertainment events in the UK.

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